Fury of the Wolf
by Golden Days
Summary: Hermione Granger was killed by Voldemort in her 7th year at Hogwarts, and the war is still raging, even two years later. Harry, Ron, and Ginny need all the help they can get, but none of them had ever suspected it would come from a wolf. UPDATED!
1. The Warning

The Forbidden Forest's dark and gloomy apperance was suddenly pierced by millions of rays of sunshine.   
  
Light streamed trough the gaps in the trees. But even this sudden   
  
change could not remove the mask of darkness. Anyone watching would   
  
have sworn that not a living sole was there. However, nobody had been   
  
looking for a pack of wolves. Nestled deep in the heart of the forest   
  
was where twenty-six pack wolves made their home. Twenty-six wolves   
  
and one outcast. She called heself Marenvia, and she was a favorite of   
  
the cubs in the pack. In fact, as Nikomel, the leader, streched his   
  
legs after awakening from a soft slumber, he was reminded of the   
  
first time Marenvia had came to the pack in search of food...  
  
~~~  
  
Nikomel suddenly found himself being joustled awake by Amayi, the   
  
watcher for rainy nights. It annoyed him at first, as he had just been   
  
in the middle of a particularly delicious dream, but he shook himself   
  
awake. Whatever Amayi had to say, it was probably important.  
  
"Nikomel," Amayi murmered softly. "There is a stray wolf on the   
  
outskirts of our land."  
  
"Kill him," Nikomel grumped. "I was sleeping."  
  
Amayi hesitated for a moment "Sir, 'tis a female. She says she needs   
  
to speak with you. It is important, she said."  
  
Nikomel gave his a rather bossy glance. "Since when do you listen to   
  
what outsiders tell you?" he quipped.  
  
But he got up anyway.  
  
As he grew nearer, the noise of the pack grew louder. Whoever this   
  
wolf was, she was causing quite a disturbance. Nikomel didn't like   
  
disturbances.  
  
As Nikomel came to the front of the cave, he spotted what must of   
  
been the stranger. She was sitting on the very edge of the land, with   
  
a guard on either side of her. He noticed, with a small amount of   
  
satisfaction, that she was very careful to not put even one paw onto   
  
his territory. He approached her catiously, but boldly. It helped to   
  
put on a brave front when you were dealing with outcasts these days.  
  
"I am Nikomel, the leader of this pack," he began as he came closer.   
  
"You have no right to be here. Who are you and what do you want?"  
  
She gazed at him for a moment, as though she were sizing him up   
  
before replying,  
  
"I am Marenvia. I come to warn you of the danger that approaches you   
  
pack. I must talk to you alone. If you do not listen, I assure you   
  
that your entire pack will be killed."  
  
Her words offended him a little, as she apparently thought that he   
  
couldn't look after his pack without guidance. However, some unseen   
  
force guided his decision. Though he had every intention of sending   
  
her away with a sharp warning, something in the way she spoke advised   
  
him otherwise. Agaist his better judgement, Nikomel relented.  
  
"Very well," he sighed, then turned towards the guards. "Aiakla,   
  
Kirkan, please leave us."  
  
The guards turned and retreated to the cave without question. Many   
  
years of experience had taught them both that there were many wiser   
  
then they were, and Nikomel was one of the wisest. Whatever he   
  
ordered, no matter how strange it sounded at first, would be done only   
  
for the good of the pack. As he had never led them astray so far, both   
  
guards were inclined to let him have his way with this strange outcast.  
  
As soon as the guards were out of hearing range, Nikomel turned back   
  
towards the she-wolf, Marenvia, she had called herself, with   
  
determination. "What reason do you have to warn me? How do I know   
  
this is not a trap."  
  
Nikomel could have sworn she looked amused. A sparkle cam into her   
  
otherwise dark eyes, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a   
  
wolfish grin. "You don't," she told him flatly. "You will have to   
  
trust me, won't you? For the safty of your pack."  
  
Right about now, Nikomel was becoming very angry. She was laughing at   
  
him! He was caught between a rock and a hard place, and she knew it.   
  
However, he would not rise to the bait. He would retain his   
  
composure, and defeat her in this battle of wit and will.   
  
He settled for a measured glare, and this seemed to amuse her to no   
  
end. Scambling desperately for his last scraps of dignity, Nikomel   
  
lifted his head in a show of leadership.  
  
"I do not trust you, nor have you done anything remotely like trying   
  
to gain my trust, but I will listen to what you have to say before I   
  
decide."  
  
She nodded at him in apparent approval. Nikomel wondered just who she   
  
thought she was, daring to waltz into his life like some crazed badger   
  
and demand his attention, all the while acting as though he were some   
  
disobedient pup.  
  
Marenvia, having gained permission to speak, began right away. Her   
  
smile was gone, and her eyes darkened even more then Nikomel thought   
  
possible.  
  
"A great danger approaches your land, Alphir. An evil being swamps   
  
throughout the world, capturing and killing all that do not serve him   
  
and his purposes. He thinks nothing of bloodshed and war, rather, he   
  
lives for it. Death is his favorite form of entertainment. He lurks   
  
everywhere, so that nobody in my world can trust their neighbors, for   
  
fear that he has taken over their soul."  
  
In spite of his inner promise to remain aloof, Nikomel shivered. She   
  
no longer spoke with her earlier wit and amusement. Now her words came   
  
in a rush, her eyes were filled with fear, her ears were back agaist   
  
her head. She gave every impression of a tiny wolf pup confronted by a   
  
bear.  
  
Nikomel could actually see her take a breath before continuing, so   
  
hard was she breathing.  
  
"This person has chosen me to be his mate, to give him a child of his   
  
own flesh and blood, one who could aid him in destroying the world,   
  
to carry on where he fails. I was warned of this danger through a   
  
friend of mine. He is the beakon of light that will vanquish the   
  
darkness. He is the one who will save us all."  
  
Once again, she paused to regain her composure, for, with every word,   
  
her eyes clouded with more and more fear, so that each time she   
  
stopped, Nikomel could no longer see who she truly was, only the fear   
  
that had gathered in her eyes, in her very soul. It disturbed him very   
  
much, for she seemed like a wolf who did not scare easily.   
  
"But," Marenvia continued faintly, "he cannot do this without help.   
  
There is a prophecy, you see, that tells how he must defeat this evil   
  
creature. I was of the few who were instructed to help him. He cannot   
  
save us without my help. But how can I help him?" she finished in   
  
dispair. Nikomel jumped back, shocked at the sudden change in her   
  
words.  
  
Marenvia looked as if she would cry. "How can I help him," she   
  
repeated in a bitter whisper, "if I am to be the vessel for the Dark   
  
Lord's seed? How can I help him if my entire future is to be the   
  
servent of this monster? How," she wailed, practically shouting into   
  
Nikomels ear at this point. "How can I help him if my purpose in life   
  
is only to serve him, to bear him a child, to aid him in his   
  
destruction of the world?"  
  
Nikomel sat down silently as Marenvia was reduced to a sobbing   
  
bundle of fur that collapsed at his feet. For several minute, neither   
  
wolf moved, until suddenly, Marenvia looked up. The dispair in her   
  
eyes was quickly replaced by shame. She stood up abruptly and turned   
  
away.  
  
"Forgive me," she muttered as she began to walk away. "My behavior   
  
was shameful. I bid you farwell."  
  
Nikomel almost let her leave, but as she neared the trees, a voice   
  
spoke in his head. "Marenvia," Nikomel spoke, hardly aware of what he   
  
was doing until the words left his mouth. "How can I help you?"  
  
She paused, then turned to him with a grateful look in her eyes. So   
  
they sat together and conversed on the hilltop for many hours, as the   
  
sun inched it's was up over the horizen, bringing light and warmth for   
  
the dawn of a new day.  
  
Nikomel learned much. He stored all of this information away, for he   
  
had a strong feeling that it would be useful later on. He had been   
  
having those feeling alot lately, come to think of it. He offered   
  
Marenvia an empty den and as much food as she would need in return for   
  
her acceptance of the position of Pup-Watcher, for, as he explained   
  
rather regretfully as they made their way back to the cave the next   
  
morning, nothing was free these days.  
  
But it was three nights after Marenvia had arrived before Nikomel   
  
found out the real reason he had never heard of this dark lord before. 


	2. Memories

Two years since she died. Did she die? Of course she did. Dumbledore said she did. He wouldn't lie. But I get the feeling that she's thinking of me, and dead   
people don't think about their boyfriends, do they? Ginny and Harry have moved on. They'll probably get married if this war ever ends. Stupid war. Stupid   
Voldemort. Stupit life. Stupid, stupid, stupid. How can they have forgotten her? They never talk about her anymore. They don't wake up crying every night.   
Yuck, I can't believe I just thought that. Too bad it's true. I wish she was still here. She'd know what to do. I remember the last time I saw her...  
~~~  
"Ron?"  
  
"Hullo, love!"  
  
Hermione smiled.  
  
"Hi. What are you doing tonight."  
  
Ron thought about this for about 1.5 seconds, and replied,  
  
"Taking you out to eat"  
  
Hermione giggled delightedly.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Hmmmmm.....Jerry's?"  
  
"Great!"  
  
He kissed her on the cheek. She would agree to anything he suggested.  
  
"Will you give me a little time to get ready?"  
  
"Of course. We'll leave at six."  
  
"Alright!"  
  
She dashed up the stars, obviously in a happy mood. About ten minutes later, she stuck her head out the door and asked if the necklace she had on   
would go with her red dress.   
  
"Sure! Wear the earrings too!" he replied.  
  
It took her another five minutes to finish, and then she paraded down the stairs, still looking as though someone had recently cast a cheering   
charm on her.  
  
So they left, and had a nice dinner at Jerry's Diner. Afterwards they went back to his house for some "quality time". She went home around eleven,   
and the next day, Dumbledore came to his door with heartbreaking news.  
~~~  
Thinking of that night was still painfull, even two years later. He knew she would know just what to say to cheer him up, urging him back into bed,   
and lying next to him, stroking his hair, untill he fell asleep. But she wasn'tt. And that was something Ron was going to have to face. And with   
that conclusion, he stared out at the moon, thinking of Hermione. 


	3. The Moon

I still remember that fateful day. That day when they knocked at my door, to bring me the news. Me. Why   
ME? Why not some other eighteen year old girl? Why Me out of ALL the witches in the world? But I'm just   
being silly asking that. I know why. It was all because I was a friend to Harry Potter. A friend, that   
was all! There were so many other female friends he had! Paravati, and Lavender, Ginny, and Cho. Why   
ME? And yet, I'm glad that nobody else was forced into this life. I wasn't even given a choice. A   
sentence without a trial, that's what it was. It was MY life they were planning, not even giving a   
thought to what I had to say! I didn't want this. I wanted to get a little summer cottage in   
Hogsmeade, get married to Ron, have a couple kids. But I'll never get to. I'll hide, I'll   
fight, and I'll die. That's all. What a wonderful life...  
~~~  
DING  
  
The doorbell rang with a sudden fierceness. I threw off my blanket and peered at the clock. 4:17 it   
said. Ha! Who would me up at 4:17 in the morning! I'll have to tell them a thing or to about   
visiting hours! Unless it's Ron. Ron can come over at any time he feels like it.  
  
But it wasn't Ron, it was Dumbledore. Frail at 163, he can still do all the things he used to. Except   
for ten-pin bowling, that is.  
  
He was looking especially grim tonight, and that made me a little frightened. What had happened NOW?  
  
"Hello Ms. Granger. I am afraid I came on rather short notice, but it's very urgent. May I come in   
for a moment? It won't take long."  
  
"Of course. No trouble at all, Dumbledore. Tea?"  
  
"Thank you. And call be Albus, dear.  
  
Ahh, I was always forgetting that!   
  
I served the tea and sat down opposite him, by the newly lit fire.  
  
"You were saying...?"  
  
He sipped he tea and looked at me carefully.  
  
"Yes, and I'm afraid this will come as a shock to you, Ms. Granger."  
  
"That's quite alright. I shall recover."  
  
"I'm not so sure about that...Very well, I'll say it straight out. Hermione, Lord Voldemort wishes you   
to be his bride."  
~~~  
So here I am. Gazing up at the moon and remembering that night. And Ron. I hadn't even gotten to say   
goodbye. How I miss him... I wonder...if her could be gazing at the moon tonight as well, and thinking   
of me? 


	4. Carrots for Dinner

"Harry? That you?"  
  
Ginny Potter's voice echoed down the hall softly.  
  
"Nope. Where did you get that idea? I'm Count Dracula!"  
  
"Haha. Where did you go?"  
  
"Went out for ice cream. Thought it might get his mind off of the date."  
  
Ginny smiled grimly. Two years ago today, Hermione had been killed by Voldemort. Harry, in a desperate   
attempt to cheer Ron up, had taken him out for the afternoon.  
  
"Did it work?"  
  
"Hmmmm...Depends on what you mean by working."  
  
"I'll take that as a 'no'."  
  
She would have questioned him more, but her daughter Cassandra's cry distracted her.  
  
"Hold on."  
  
Harry nodded and headed for the kitchen.  
  
"No problem. I'll just get something to eat."  
  
Ginny agreed and made her way to Cassandra's room. She paused halfway down a winding halway, and   
opened the door softly. Crossing the room quickly, she took the little baby in her arms and sat down.  
  
"Hush, Cassie. We don't need you to be upset too! It's alright...it's alright."  
  
She rocked her back and forth, cooing to her, and finally Cassandra stopped crying. Smiling happily,   
Ginny got up and went to the kitchen, Cassandra still in her arms. She was met with a disaster.  
  
"Harry! What did you do?"  
  
Harry sat at the table, chomping down a large bowl of something. Ginny sighed. Honestly! He might   
have been an adult, but sometimes she swore there were two children in the house, instead of one! Harry   
looked up and swallowed.  
  
"Poured some cereal. Why?"  
  
Ginny shook her head and scurried around the kitchen, Cassandra in one arm, a wash rag in the other.   
Magic might have been faster, but the messes that were sometimes made would only come of with a good   
scrubbing. Finishing up, she sat Cassandra down into a highchair, and reached above to counter for a   
jar of baby food.  
  
"Carrots today, Cassie!" she said cheerfully. Harry grimanced, and Cassandra gurgled happily. She   
reached her tiny arms out for food, and made impatient sounds as Ginny bustled around before finally   
sitting down opposite her.  
  
"Yummy carrots! Does Cassie want carrots?"  
  
Harry scrunched up his face in dislike (he hated carrots), but didn't say anything.  
~~~  
After dinner, Ginny went to put Cassandra to bed. She sang softly to her, while gazing out the window   
at the moon. As Cassandra slept, she wondered what Ron was doing, and if he was gazing at the moon as   
well... 


	5. A Helping Paw

Ron couldn't ever remember such a pain. It started from the top of his head and seemed to spread all the way down his body.  
  
He reached a shaking hand up to his head and felt...blood. Lots of it. That wasn't good. He felt very dizzy, and he was having trouble staying awake. He tried   
to remember what Hermione would be saying in this situation...  
  
"Don't touch it Ron, you'll make it worse! Do you have a piece a rag? You have to stop the bleeding. Put it on your cut. Yeah, like that. Hold it really tight."  
  
He could hear the words echoing through his head. Slowly, he grabbed his shirt and tore a strip of it off. Folding it in half, he reached up towards his head,   
but he couldn't reach the cut. Struggling, he streched his arm out further, but he still couldn't find the place that he was bleeding. He started to take his hand   
off the cloth, but it seemed to be held in place. He pulled firmly on it, and was responded with a soft wimpering. Ron froze. Wonderful. All he had   
needed was for some hungry animal to come wandering up to him.  
  
The wimpering noise came again, and Ron slowly tilted his head upward. He was met with a pair of large yellow eyes, staring into his, and a doggish paw   
holding the cloth firmly onto his head. But it wasn't a dog. It was a wolf.  
  
Ron would have shouted, but he was to weak, and he figured the only thing it would do would be to attract more wolves. One was bad enough. The wolf stared   
into his eyes, as though iut couldn't believe what it was seeing, then slowly leaned inward, untill it's nose was almost touching Ron's forehead. It sniffed   
him tenderly, then licked his nose and whimpered again, before giving him what seemed to be a reasuring look. The it bounded off, howling into the moonlight   
that shone down on it. 


	6. The Discovery

AN: I know, it was short, wasn't it? But I didn't have much time yesterday. This chapter will be longer, I promise!   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
'He's here? How could he be here? What if he finds out? It isn't safe! He's hurt! What should I do? What CAN I do? Oh no, he's waking up. Should I run? Should   
I hide? Should I stay? Somebody, please come! Please help! I'm not supposed to be here! Oh no, no, don't wake up! Please don't! I couldn't bear it if you found   
out...I miss you so much...'  
  
The wolf that was Hermione stared blankly at the sleeping figure. She had to help him. His head was bleeding, and he was waking up.   
  
The figure stirred, and Hermione froze. Slowly, she crept towards him, and watched him struggle with a piece of his shirt. A pang of loneliness ran through her,   
and she gazed at him lovingly as he placed the cloth on his head. He couldn't reach the cut, she knew he couldn't, and he would die if he couldn't stop the   
bleeding. She would have to help him. Slowly, silently, she crept towards him. She extended he paw, and lightly placed it on the cloth. She felt him tug on it,   
but she held it tight. He tugged again, and Hermione whimpered. He couldn't take it off, he would die! SHe realized to late what he was doing. He was twisting   
his head around to see what had made the noise. She couldn't leave him, but she couldn't stay either! But he was already gazing into her eyes, and her into his.  
  
Hermione could see the fear and his shock in his eyes, but she also sensed that he didn't really care what happened to him now. He had given up hope. But she   
couldn't let him give up! She sniffed him lightly. Yes, he was alright for now. And except for the cut on his head, he wasn't hurt. But he needed help, and   
fast. She licked off a drop a blood that was threatening to drip down his forehead, then whimpered again, But she had made up her mind. She had to get Harry   
and Ginny, and hope they wouldn't find out her secret...  
~~~  
Ginny had just put Cassandra down to sleep when there was a scratching at her door. She opened it quietly, and came face-to-face with a large wolf.  
  
She would have screamed, but something stopped her. The wolf didn't seem to want to attack, and what kind of wolf scratched on doors? She stared at the   
wolf for a moment, before turning and whispering down the hallway...  
  
"Harry?" 


	7. The Visit

"Harry?" A small, scared voice echoed down the hallway, waking Harry from his light slumber. He growled and rolled over, but the voice made it   
hard to get back to sleep. Finally, he threw off his heavy quilt and headed towards the front door.   
  
He turned the corner and came face to face with Ginny.   
  
'Well, in that case, waking up might not be so bad!' he thought to himself.   
  
But Ginny looked very tired and very frightened. Harry imediately switched from 'very sleepy husband who didn't like being woken up' to   
'sweet caring husband who gets smothered with love and kisses for looking out for his wife'.  
  
The trick worked. Ginny pretty much jumped onto him and hugged him tightly. He stayed still for awile, and then made a decision. Much as he   
loved her, she was going to have to get off before he suffocated.  
  
"Gin?" he asked tenderly. "Gin? I can't...breathe..."  
  
Thankfully, at hearing this, Ginny let go very quickly. Harry stood for a minute to catch his breath, then looked at her worriedly.  
  
"Gin, you should be in bed. It's late. What's the matter?"  
  
Once again, she fell into his arms in a state of distress. Harry sighed regretfully. His wife had a very tight grip.  
~~~  
Hermione paced back and forth on the front lawn of the Potter's house. She hadn't been here for a long time. She hoped Ginny would come back   
to the door soon, she wasn't sure how badly Ron was hurt. Finally, she heard footsteps. Walking up to the door, she waited a little longer   
before becoming impatient and whining loudly.  
  
The door opened a crack, and she was met with a pair of sparkling green eyes.  
  
Hermione whined again, then launched into the 'follow me, it's important' routine. The green eyes blinked, and the door was open to it's   
fullest extent. Once again, Hermione tried to get them to follow her.  
  
Finally, her messange got through. Harry told Ginny to get on some clothes and shoes and to meet him outside. Then he turned to Hermione and   
studied he a minute. After awhile he spoke softly.  
  
"Wolf, I don't know who you are or what you want, but we're going to trust you. But I'm waning you right now, if this is a trap, it's not   
going to work. I've got my wand."  
  
Hermione whimpered accordingly, and Harry peered at her catiously.  
  
"Wait here." he commanded, and disapeared inside.  
~~~  
Back in the woods, Ron was getting cold. His head was hurting badly, and he couldn't seem to move. He wanted to go to sleep very badly, the   
leave the pain behind, but the fierce noises that sounded all around him kept him awake and alert. Suddenly there was a rustling on his left.   
He turned him head, but a painfull shock went through his body, and he layed still.  
  
The noise was getting louder, and whatever was making the noise was geting closer. But he couldn't hold his eyes open any longer. His last   
comforting thout was that he would rather be eaten by wolves then slowly starve to death out in the woods. 


	8. Calliana

Ginny sobbed lightly and hugged the wolf in her lap. Two days ago, this wolf had come to her door and she and Harry had followed. Into the   
woods they had gone, and found Ron, bleeding and unconscious. The had carried him back to their house and called the doctor.  
  
In those two days, Ron hadn't woken up, and Ginny was losing hope.  
  
The wolf wimpered softly and licked her face.  
  
It was little comfort to Ginny, but it was a kind thought. She scrached the wolf behind the ear, got up off the chair, and went to find Harry.   
  
The wolf followed behind her.  
  
Entering Harry's room, she saw him look up quickly. His face relaxed when he saw that it was her. Ginny knew what he had been thinking. He had   
thought she was the doctor, coming to bring bad news. She held back a sob and sat beside him, the wolf once again settling in her lap.  
~~~  
Harry stared down at his wife, and watched as her new 'pet' settled into her lap. He spoke quietly to her.  
  
"Gin, you know, she should have a name. She can't just be 'the wolf' forever."  
  
His words relaxed her a little and she smiled down at the large creature.   
  
"Your right," she agreed. "What about Sally?"  
  
Harry grimanced.  
  
"No way! How does 'Neasa' sound?"  
  
Ginny shook her head.  
  
"I could never remember that," she complained.  
  
The debate went on for a while longer, but in the end, the wolf was christned Calliana, 'Calli' for short.  
  
Calli rubbed her head up against Ginny's cheek, causing her to smile. She stood up and went over to the couch. Sitting down, she patted her   
leg. Calli took a running jump and landed gracefully in her lap. Grining happily, Ginny went to sleep, thinking to herseft that everything   
really would be alright. 


	9. The Awakening

A bright light filtered through the curtains and into the room. It was this light, shining down on his face, that awoke Ron from his sleep. He looked around   
the room for a moment, taking in the clean, white walls, the smell of medicine, the very comfortable sheets his bed had been made with, before everything came   
rushing back to him. The woods. The wolf. Harry and Ginny. The hospital. Damn...  
  
Ron hated the hospital. He didn't have very fond memories of it, especially when you were going there to have the bunny ears your twin brothers charmed onto   
your head to be removed. No, he didn't like the hospital at all. Hermione had always told him she liked the hospital. 'Everyone goes there to get better,' she   
had said to him once. 'It's not so bad.'  
  
Right. As far as Ron was concerned, the hospital was one of the worst places your could be. He would much rather have woken up in his own bed, with the smell of   
cinnamion wafting through the air, and Hermione smiling at him. It caused him a twinge of pain when he reminded himself that it would never happen. Damn. He had   
always envisioned himself in a big house, with hermione as his wife, and a whole truckload of little red-haired kids. And it would never happen. Damn.  
  
A whimpering sound suddenly reached his ears. Whimpering? Where had he heard whimpering before? It reminded him of Hermione, but Hermione would never whimper.   
She had always been strong. 'Plus', he reminded himself, 'dead people can't whimper.'   
  
Oh great, he'd had to go and remind himself of that again. Damn.  
  
But there was still the whimpering.  
  
Ron opened his eyes catiously, and found a large, furry face staring into his own. He yelped, and the furry face moved back a little, coming into better focus.   
Now Ron could see that it was the wolf from the woods. But what weird person would let wolves into a hospital?  
  
His question was answered by his sister face appeared in the room, most likely summoned by his shout. As soon as she layed eyes on his face, alert, awake, and   
a little frightened, she gave a little cry before bounding into the room and giving him a backbreaking hug.   
  
"Your okay," she whispered into his shoulder, more likely to herself then him. "Your safe."  
  
He was jolted back into reality by another hug. Ginny had always had a tight grip.  
  
Damn. 


	10. The Eyes of a Wolf

Ron groaned. Ginny had been chattering on and on to him for what seemed like days. She would chatter   
about Quidditch, chatter about the Ministry, and chatter about Harry. She chattered about the new   
security laws that were being inforced, she chattered about her new pet, the wolf, she chattered on   
and on and on about EVERYTHING.   
  
It seemed that Ron's sudden awakening seemed to have caused her a large amout of excitment, and now all   
Ron wanted was some food and a nice pair of earmuffs. Just not pink ones.  
  
"While you were out, the Wasps beat the Arrows, and it brought the score up to 7-11, favor of the   
Arrows. Bagman wasn't to happy about that...HOW he ever got into the Ministry, when all he does is fool   
around. Hey Ron, I'd bet you'd be good in the Ministry! Or maybe as an auror, I guess. You could do   
better then Bagman with your hands tied behind your back and one leg off!"  
  
"Did you hear about what happened to Harry the day you came here? They wouldn't let him in! They thought   
he was just pretending to be Harry Potter. Honestly, some people...And all because of those new   
security precations! Guess what Ron, now you have to have an ID card just to get into the Ministry  
office! Not just the usual kind either, they're coded, colored, and stamped. Like we need all that..."  
  
"Did you see the wolf when you woke up? Oh, I guess that's what scared you, huh? Don't worry, she wouldn't   
hurt a fly. She's the one that found you, you know. Came running up to the door in the middle of the   
night, trying to get us to follow her...Lucky we did, huh? She's such a smart thing! We named her   
Callianna. Oh, don't worry, we won't keep her trapped in the house, the poor thing, but I do hope   
she'll come and visit us from time to time."   
  
"Isn't it funny that she knew to come to our house? How did she know that we lived in that particular   
house, I wonder. I guess she could smell you, but you hadn't been over for a long time, could wolves   
really have that good of noses? I mean, dogs have good noses, but I don't think a dog could smell a   
trail two weeks old, do you? Maybe because she's a wolf, she has a better sense of smell. Yeah, that's   
got to be it, I mean, how else would she know to got to that PARTICULAR..."  
  
"Gin, do me a favor and shut up."  
  
Thankfully, Ginny did as she was told.  
~~~  
Ron studied his sister's net 'pet' carefully. He was being very quiet, so as not to wake the sleeping   
creature. Ginny had assured him that the wolf wouldn't hurt anyone, but nobody liked to be woken up   
from a nap unwillingly.  
  
'Looks like she's been through her share of fights,' Ron mused silently. 'I wonder if animals have to   
worry about You-Know-Who? Probably not, lucky things.'  
  
She was a strange looking wolf, unlike any Ron had ever seen before, although he hadn't seen more then   
three wolves in his entire life. She was almost all black, with hints of gray here and there, peeping   
out from under a thick blanket of hair. She had white 'knee-socks', but they only reached halfway up   
her legs, as though she really was wearing socks. Short whiskers of a sort poked out from her muzzle,   
all black except one. A white whisker.  
  
Ginny wouldn't have any trouble identifying her 'pet' in future times.  
  
As Ron looked up at the wolf again, he noted that her eyes her a deep, chocolate brown color.  
  
'Like Hermione's,' he reminded himself sadly.  
  
After pushing away his feelings of dispair, he realized once again what part of the wolf had reminded   
him of Hermione. 'The eyes...' But how could he see the wolf's eyes? Unless...  
  
He chanced a nervous glance at the wolf.  
  
She was still sleeping soundly in the chair opposite his bed. 


	11. Exploring

Ron had never been more happy to be home.  
  
His doctor had insisted on giving him a large amount of smelly and discusting medicine before   
he left, not to mention that he wouldn't let him just walk outside. He had to be pushed by a nurse, in   
a wheelchair. Yuck.  
  
Calli walked beside him, panting softly, with a happy look on her fur-covered face. He reached over the   
arm of the wheelchair and scrtched her behind the ear. She arched her neck up towards him and looked   
into his face, giving Ron full view of her eyes, the same, deep brown color he had imagined. He   
shivered a little, and touched the fur next to her right eye, causing her to blink. Ron drew his hand   
away and continued scratching her ear.  
  
Ginny walked on the other side of the wheelchair, chattering happily, again. Ron did his best to tune   
her out, and listened instead to the doctor's converstion with the nurse who was pushing him.  
  
"He'll be alright in a couple o' days. Nasty concussion he's got there, but nothin' too bad. Strange   
thing, 'bout that wolf finding him. Most would've eaten 'im right up. I say, right up."  
  
"Yes, tis strange, is it not, Doc?"  
  
"Right strange enough, but tis none of your business to worry 'bout it, Nursie."  
  
"All right, Doc. I shaln't. But shall you?"  
  
"Me, Nursie? 'Course not! None of me business neither."  
~~~  
Calli looked around at the large house she had just entered. She coudn't leave the room, for she had   
been given the job of baby sitting Cassie, but she could look around a little.  
  
First, she looked into the crib.  
  
Yes, Cassie was still asleep, and a good thing too. She hadn't been in a happy mood when they had first   
gotten home, and Calli swore she had almost went deaf. But no, she was sound asleep.  
  
The walls of the room were a light yellow, with bunnies and deer along the top and bottom. There was a   
window, partially covered with a light pink curtain. From the window, you had a very nice view of the   
garden on the side of the house.  
  
There was a pretty dresser, a soft off-white color, with flower stenciled onto it. On the top there was   
a small lamp, and the shade had a cute kitten on it. Also on the top of the dresser was a stack of baby   
clothes. Ginny must not have put them into the proper places yet.  
  
The closet door was open a crack, and my sticking her paw into the opening, Calli could pull it open   
enough to see inside.  
  
The light wasn't on, but the sunlight that came through the window crept into the closet, and gave her   
a good view of what was inside. It was obviously not used as a toy closet, for Cassie's toys were in   
the big chest in the living room, but Calli supposed it must be used as extra storage space.  
  
Nothing interesting in there.  
  
She would have gone to see about the bookcase, had Cassie not suddenly woken up and started to cry.  
  
Calli whimpered and put her paws over her ears. 


	12. The Understanding

'It's dark,' was the first thing to cross Ron's mind as he woke up. Dark and warm. Dark because it was   
night, and warm because he had a large, furry body snuggled up against him. The furry body whined, and   
Ron looked down at it.  
  
She was staring at him again.  
  
Calli seemed to have the uncanny ability to know when he was awake, when he was sad, when he needed   
company, or when he needed to be alone. In simpler terms, Ron had begun to call her 'our little   
telepathic wolf'. He patted her head and stared out the window at the half moon in the sky.  
  
Well, he needed to talk to someone now, ever if they couldn't talk back.  
  
He sighed. All day she had been on his mind. He couldn't forget her. And he would never get back to   
sleep with her on his mind. God, he missed her. He looked back at Calli  
  
"Cal, you feel like listening to me blabber on for a while?"  
  
She tilted her head ever so slightly and blinked at him.  
  
"Good girl. Once I had a girlfriend, you know."  
  
As though she could hear him, Calli put her ears back, listening, and looking at him as if to say,   
'Well? On with it!'. Ron smiled a little.  
  
"She was the best, you know. Smart, pretty, brave, every guy's dream. And she was mine. Must have   
wondered milloons of times, why me? I was just another Weasley, just another ordinary boy. I mean, she   
could have had the Boy-Who-Lived, a Quiddich superstar, anyone else, but she chose me."   
  
"Never did find out why, you know. I never got the chance to ask her. Because now she's gone"  
  
His voice became bitter.  
  
"Dead. All because of Voldemort, dammit! He killed her."  
  
Ron sighed.  
  
"I saw her the night before it all happened, you know. She was so happy. So alive. And now she's gone."  
  
He was silent of a long time, in which Calli whimpered again and rubber her head against him.  
  
"God, I loved that woman. Come here Calli, come see something."  
  
He watched as she slowly rose off the bed and climbed down. Then, once she was beside him, he reached   
into one of the drawers of the dresser and pulled out a ring.  
  
He wasn't sure, but Ron could have sworn that the wolf missed a breath.  
  
He sat down again.  
  
"I would have given it to her, you know, Calli. I wanted to. But I never got the chance."  
  
He sighed again, a tear dripping down one of his cheeks.  
  
"I'm nothing without her. Nothing. She was part of me. Now that she's gone, I'm nothing. There isn't a   
point in living anymore. Damn Voldemort. I'll get him if it's the last thing I do."  
  
He stood up slowly, wiped his eyes, put the ring back into the drawer and turned to face Calli.  
  
"Come up, Cal. I reckon you need to go outside, huh?"  
  
She stared at him for a moment, frozen, before abruptly getting up and dashing towards the door. Ron   
opened it for her and she lept outside into the night.  
  
After a few minutes, she managed to open the door by putting her paws onto the nob and twisting around.   
Prying open the door, she was greeted by the site of Ron plunging something into his chest.  
  
What was that he had he said again? Oh yes, she remembered now.  
  
"Now that she's gone, I'm nothing. There isn't a point in living anymore." 


	13. An Unexpected Meeting

Calli had only on thing on her mind as she sped across the streets of Hogsmede:  
  
Get to Ginny. Get to Ginny. Find Ginny.  
  
She stopped abruptly at the bend in the road, and continued running even before she had come to a full   
stop. The idea pounded painfully in her head.  
  
Get to Ginny.  
  
Across the street, not paying any attention the cars rushing by. A big red jeep honked it's horn and   
narrowly missed hitting her, but she paid no heed.   
  
Run, run, run. Get Ginny, Get Harry, run.  
  
Another sharp turn, a long road, across the middle of a neighborhood, Hogsmede had never seemed so big.  
  
Run, run, run, keep running, don't pay attention to the stich in your side, just run, run to Harry, run   
to Ginny, run, run, run, hurry, hurry.  
  
How could he? She missed him with all her heart, but she could wait until they could build their lives   
on steady ground, instead of broken stones, covered in blood from the war. But maybe he couldn't. Maybe   
it had been to long. Just a year, a little longer and it would have been over, she could have seen him   
again. But he'd had to go and stab himself, dammit.  
  
Run, run, run.  
  
Yet another turn, a long row of houses, a small tree-lined street.   
  
Calli plunged into the woods that littered one side of the road. She would come though the trees, from   
one isde to the other, instead of following th bending road. It would take to long, and she had no time   
to waist if she wanted to get back to him in time.  
  
As she dashed through the woods, she pictured when she would come out. By the corner store, next to the   
retail office. From there she would take the left street down to where Ginny and Harry had their house,   
down by where the train would drop off the Hogwarts bound students.   
  
'On the opposite side of Hogsmede,' she reminder herself grimly, before pushing the thought out of her   
head. Yes, now she could see the little store.  
  
But before she could take another step, another wolf stepped into her path. She skidded to a stop,   
breather heavily, a gloomy feeling in her chest. This disturbance might make her to late!  
  
"Marenvea?"  
  
The voice sounded shocked and curious, but Calli had no time to greet he former pack leaded, Nikomel.  
  
"Nikomel...can't talk...have to hurry...he's dying...have to get the people..please move..."  
  
The head wolf waisted no time in moving out of her way, but as she resumed her fast pace, Nikomel   
shouted from behind her, "I'll retrace your trail and see if I can help the human. Good luck, Marenvea!"  
  
Nikomel truly was a great wolf, but she had no time to do more then nod in responce.   
  
Please, please let her get there in time!  
  
There, she could see their house, she was almost there.  
  
But as she hurried up to the door, she stopped very suddenly and pricked her ears, listening.  
  
She heard Nikomel's howl. If only she had time to work out what he was saying!  
  
But the tone of his voice was enough.  
  
Nobody, human or animal, can mistake a wolf's mournful howl, the cry of sadness. 


	14. The Discussion

Callianna sat in the woods next to big hospital in London. The doctors wouldn't let her in as a wolf,   
but they would soon enough. Her heart lept with the very idea. After being told what had happened by   
Ginny, Harry, and a very distressed wolf, Dumbledore had given her permission to reveal herself.   
  
She was leaping with excitment. Finally they would be together again! He would know who she was!  
  
'If he survives,' the annoying, nagging voice in her head reminded her.  
  
No, she couldn't think that way. Of course he would survive! Why wouldn't he? 'Because he stabbed   
himself, you idiot', the voice whispered.  
  
Silently, another wolf appoached her. Calli was so arguing with herself that she didn't hear him   
approach. He sat down beside her.  
  
"Is your human recovering?" he asked softly  
  
Nikomel had always addressed Ron as 'her human'. It usually annoyed her a little, but tonight she was   
to preoccupied to ever notice. She looked sideways at him.  
  
"He's...better. But it's still not good."  
  
Nikomel sighed.  
  
"When I got there, I thought he was already gone. It's a miracal that you brought the humans in time."  
  
Calli shivered. She was constantly reminding herself how close it had been. A race against time.  
  
"You were brave to help him, Marenvea," he said suddenly.  
  
"I'm not Marenvea anymore. Now I'm Callianna. And soon I'll be Hermione."  
  
"Hermione," Nikomel said thoughtfully. "I like that name. Is it your human name?"  
  
Calli nodded.  
  
(AN: This is the last chapter she will be addressed as 'Calli'. In all other chapters after this one   
she will once again be known as Hermione.)  
  
But I want you to call me Calli. You never know who could be listening. Spies. Traitors.  
  
She grimanced.  
  
"Traitors? Spies? Is it really that bad?"  
  
"It's worse. Much worse then you can imagine."  
  
"How? What could be worse?"  
  
"I'd rather not say."  
  
She shivered again.  
  
"It's horrible. If I told you, you would never get a good night's sleep again."  
  
Nikomel frowned.  
  
"I don't care. I want to help. And I know some of the pack will as well."  
  
Calli looked at him catiously.  
  
"The danger will be great. You could easily be killed. You'll see terrible things that you won't ever   
be able to forget. It's not a good thing for a wolf to be involved in."  
  
Nikomel stared pointedly at her, and Calli sighed.  
  
"Yes, I'm a wolf too, but I'm also human."  
  
"I don't care. I want to help."  
  
She nodded slowly.  
  
"Alright. I'll see." 


	15. The Secret

Hermione walked slowly back up the hill to the hospital. She was amazed and proud of Nikomel, for   
wanting to help. But she was also afraid for him. What would happen to the pack if Nikomel was killed?   
She shook her head. She would not think about that. She wouldn't. No way.  
  
She approached the double doors and half-heartedly switched form. Dumbledore had ben very firm and   
saying that only Harry and the Weasley's could be let in on her secret. She was only allowed to be   
in wolf form when she was among other people.   
  
She was so nervous! She wanted to see him so badly, to be with him again, but would that put him in   
danger? She needed him, but what would she have to sacrifice to be back in his arms? There was only so   
much she could give.  
  
A tall nurse by the door studied her warily, but opened the door and let her in. Hermione could feel   
her eyes boring into her furry back as she walked inside. Everyone stared when there was a wolf in a   
hospital, it was in their nature. But knowing this didn't make her feel any less agitatied by it.  
  
Ginny was waiting for her at the moving staircase. She put a hand on her back and smiled.   
  
"Come on, Calli." We'll go see Dumbledore. He want's to talk to us."  
  
Yes, he wanted to talk to them, all right. About her. And Ginny! Ginny didn't know who she was either.   
To her, she was just a tame wolf, her pet, her brother's savior. But she was more then that!   
  
She was Hermione, unregistered Animagus, the hunted, thought dead, the woman the Dark Lord wanted for   
his bride. That was who she was.  
  
And she hated it.  
  
~~~  
  
Dumbledore looked up as Ginny waled in, followed by what was obviously a very worried wolf. He sighed   
to himself. The poor girl had been through so much for the sake of love. She didn't deserve this.  
  
Ginny sat in the last empty chair, and Hermione settled at her feet, curled up in a tight ball. Dumbledore   
knew how much this all affected her. She was teetering ton the edge of a nervous breakdown. As much as he   
wished for the secret to stay a secret, it was essential that she should be found out. She had so much on   
her mind. Being wih him would help them both.  
  
After everyone was settled, he raised his hand for attention.  
  
"I am sure you are all wondering why I called you here. You will notice that the other members of the Order   
are not present. That is because I am going to reveal to you all a secret that I do not wish for the other   
members to know of. I also did not inform Ron of this discussion, as it would only cause him greif. I have   
called you here to discuss the disapearance of Hermione Granger.  
  
The whole room gasped, as if it was one, massive body, split into many pieces. Dumbledore, ingoring the   
silence, continues to speak to the bewildered crowd of people in front of him.  
  
"I'm sure you all remember what happened. Hermione was presumed to be kidnapped and killed by Death Eaters.   
Her body was never found. And I belive I am right in saying that her disapearance is the reason we are all   
sitting in a hospital wating room instead of somewhere else.  
  
There was only silence, as each person relived their own horrible memories of that day.  
  
"We have moved on the best we can without her. You are most likely wondering why I brought the subject up.   
It is because Hermione is not dead. She is still alive and well.  
  
Another collective gasp spread throughout the room, larger and louder then the first.  
  
"She is very near, infact, in this very room."  
  
Everyone looked around at each other in a state of shock, wondering if it could be true. None of them noticed   
a large wolf walking to the front of the room and sitting down next to Dumbledore.   
  
Until her bark jolted them all back to attention.  
  
Many heads turned to stair at her. The room's soft mutterings were replaced with total and utter silence. The   
Ginny spoke up in a shaky but firm voice.  
  
"That's Calli, professor. A wolf. Not Hermione, Calli."  
  
Dumbledore shook his head softly.  
  
"She is known by many names. To the pack that adopted her when she wandered the Forbidden Forest, she is Marenvia.   
To you all, she is Callianna. But neither of these are her real name. She is Hermione.  
  
Ginny would have protested again, had not the wolf she knew and loved quite suddenly changed into a human they all   
thought long dead.  
  
Hermione was alive. 


	16. After All These Years

Ginny screamed, Harry jumped up, Bill gasped, and Mrs. Wealsey plain out fainted. Only Dumbledore   
remained calm, standing next to Hermione, who now looked as if she were about to cry.   
  
Everybody started talking at once, causeing a large amount of noise that not even Dumbledpre could put   
an end to. Everyone wanted to know where she had been, why she hadn't told them, if she had any idea   
how worried and sad they had been. Questions followed her everywhere she went, and for a moment it   
seemed as if she were considering running from the room in tears. Finally Dumbledore stepped up.  
  
"Excuse me, but I wish to make a few things known. First of all, it was I who convinced Hermione to   
become a Animagus, for reason I am afraid I cannot disclose. Yes, I'm sure she does have a bit of am   
idea of how worried you have all been, but I see no need to rub it into her face. And lastly, she has   
been, while not in your presence, in the Forbidden Forest. I do not belive you need to question her   
further. Let's all settle down."  
  
Quite siddenly, everyone seemed to realize how harsh they mush have sounded, and imediatly gathered   
around Hermione and started apoligizing, offering their sympathy, and anything else they thought would   
comfort her. But none of this had any effect except to pressure her further. Finally, Harry, who had   
not been part of the questioning mob, grabbed her arm and led her out of the room. Hermione followed   
willingly, and the whole thing happened so fast that nobody really had time to comprehended what had   
just happened until the door shut in their faces.  
  
~~~  
  
As soon as Harry had taken Hermione out of the room, he set of down the hallway until he came to an   
empty room. He led her in and shut and bolted the door after her. Hermione sat down on the bed an   
wiped her streaming eyes, for as soon as she had left the room she had broken out crying. As of now,   
she was refused to talk to or look at Harry.  
  
He sat down on the bed next to her and handed her a tissue. She took it, sniffed, and sat silently   
for a few minutes, not really looking at anything. Finally she spoke, in a voice that seemed as if it   
had not been used in many years. (Harry reminded himself that this was probably true.)  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
He looked at her, shocked.  
  
"But you don't have anything to be sorry for!" he told her. "You didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"I left."  
  
"You had to. Dumbledore said you had to, not you."  
  
"But I could have said no."  
  
Harry sat and stared at her for a few minutes. God, Ron would have been able to handle this so much   
better then him. In fact, maybe he should take her to see Rom right now.  
  
"Do you want to go see Ron?" he suggested quietly.  
  
Hermione's head snapped up, revealing her tearstreaked face and red eyes.  
  
"No! I can't!"  
  
"Oh? Why not?"  
  
She looked down at her knees, and said in a small voice, "Because I saw him do it. I can't go in and   
look at him, I saw him do it! I saw him....I saw...I can't."  
  
Harry sighed, then put his hand furmly on Hermione's shoulder. She looked up at him.  
  
"Yes you can. You need to see him. You can and you will. Come on."  
  
He stood up and grabbed her hand again, unlocking the door and leading her backout into the hallway.  
  
"No way," she told him in a panicky vioce. "No way. Let me go, Harry!"  
  
Harry shook his head and continued on his way to Rons room.  
  
~~~  
  
Damn he missed her. That was why he did that, wasn't it? So he could see her again? But it didn't work.   
Somehow Calli had gotten back in, saw him, and ran to Ginny and Harry's house. And there had been   
another wolf, standing over him, howling. Perhaps Calli had sent him? He could think of no other   
explanation. Or maybe wolves were telepathic.  
  
There was a knock at the door. Harry's face peered inside, looking around the room and stopping on Ron.  
  
"Ron, there's someone to see you."  
  
"No there's not!" said another voice from behind the door. "Harry, no, stop, I don't want..."  
  
Quite suddenly, a girl he knew very well was shoved inside, and the door closed. Unaware that Ron was   
awake, she was still facing the door and grumbling to Harry.  
  
"Harry, this isn't funny! Let me out, hurry, Harry, please!"  
  
"Nope. Go say hi."  
  
"I can't! What would I say? Harry let me ou-"  
  
She paused in midsentence as she looked over at Ron and found that he was pinching himself furiously.   
After a minute, he looked up at her, amazed.  
  
"Hi," she said quietly, not meeting his gaze. 


	17. Where I Belong

Ron stared blankly at her fow a few more seconds. Then he spoke, in a flat, dry voice, to nobody in   
particular.   
  
"I must be dead."  
  
Hermione stared back at him, then sat down heavily in a chair and sighed.  
  
"You're not."  
  
Ron snorted.  
  
"Well, your dead. and here you are, so I must be dead, too."  
  
"No, your not. I was never dead in the first place," she said quietly.  
  
He stared at her again. Hermione put her head down and refused to look him in the eye.  
  
"Where were you then?"  
  
She groaned inwardly. She really wasn't looking forward to this discussion.  
  
"In the Forbidden Forest mostly."  
  
"Mostly, huh? Where were you the rest of the time?"  
  
He said this in a very sarcastic voice, and Hermione had to choke down a sob.  
  
"With you."  
  
She said this flat out, with no hesitation. Even when she was staring at her knees, she knew exactly   
what Ron would do one he had grasped what she had just said. As if to prove her   
point, a glass of water fell from the table next to Ron's bed and hit the floor, shattering.  
  
For some reason unknown to even herself, this affected her greatly. Still looking down, she got up and   
walked hesiantly to his bed. Grabbing a napkin, she wiped up the water.  
  
"I'll pick it up," she said softly. "There's no use in y-"  
  
Without any warning, Ron interupted her, speaking in a loud, bewildered, and furious voice.  
  
"What do you mean you were with me? You can't have been. Your DEAD. I'll bet this is just some stupid   
joke that Harry cooked up. When I see him, he'll sure get it! The only people ever with me   
were my family, Harry, and Cal-"  
  
As suddenly as he had begun to speak, Ron's voice dwindled away. Hermione still hadn't looked up at   
him, but she heard his breath catch. He muttered something, so softly that she had to struggle to hear   
what it was.  
  
"Shit."  
  
They both sat there in silence for a moment, then Hermione began to walk towards the door.  
  
"I'm leaving."  
  
"Don't."  
  
He said it so suddenly that she stopped in midstep. Stuggling to keep herself from breaking into tears,   
she fought to keep her voice steady.  
  
"I have every right to leave. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't."  
  
There was silence for a moment, in which Hermione considered leaving the room without waiting for him   
to answer. She had just considering her choices, (leave or stay?) (run or sneak?) when Ron threw his   
covers off and started to walk towards her. Hermione froze.  
  
"Because I don't want you to."  
  
He enveloped her in a hug, and Hermione let the walls around her fall down. She started to cry into his   
shoulder. She was strangly unaware of everything around her for a moment.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
There was a short silence, in which she leaned into Ron's chest and counted her blessings.  
  
"Because I love you." 


	18. Chained to the Wall

Hermione sighed gently into Ron's shoulder. Well, that was it. The rest of the world could go on   
fighting Voldemort, and she could stay here. No way was she ever leaving the safty of Ron's arms.  
  
"You were Calli, weren't you?"  
  
She snuggled deeper into his warmth.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
His grip on her tightened.  
  
"Then you saw...didn't you?"  
  
There was a silence.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Shit."  
  
"Ron?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't swear."  
  
Ron laughed out loud, a sound she thought she would never hear again. However, he stopped suddenly.  
  
"Then all those thing I told you...that night...you heard."  
  
It wasn't a question.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
She looked up at him, puzzled.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Ducking his head, he looked at his feet.  
  
"I didn't want for you to find out that way."  
  
She smiled slyly.  
  
"Well, we can pretend it never happened, and you can," She paused. "Do it again."  
  
Ron choked.  
  
"What!?"  
  
"Do. It. Again."  
  
Ron couldn't really think of anything to say to this.  
  
"You mean...you don't-you don't mind?"  
  
Hermione replaced her head on his chest.  
  
"Why would I?"  
  
"I don't know. I just thought-I don't know."  
  
"I don't mind."  
  
There was another silence, in which they were both oddly aware of everything around them.  
  
"Good. Because even if you said you did mind, you'd have to stay anyway."  
  
"Oh? Why's that?"  
  
"Beacuse I'd chain you to the wall!"  
  
Flipping her over, he sat on her legs and pushed her down against the bed. Hermione shrieked in suprise.  
  
"See? Now you can'r get up!"  
  
She struggled to free herself.  
  
"Ron! Let me go! Ron, come on!"  
  
"No way. You'll stay here with me until the world ends."  
  
"But that's not fair. What would I eat?"  
  
Ron paused, his face inches away from her's, obviously thinking this over.  
  
"Me."  
  
"Oh, that sil-mumph!"  
  
"You-can-eat-me-I-can-eat-you.  
  
After each word he kissed her, giving he no time to reply.  
  
"And-I'll-never-let-you-go!"  
  
After a final kiss, he let her get up, both of them panting and laughing. Finally,   
Hermione looked at him, a sparkle in her eye.  
  
"Do you know what I'm going to do now?"  
  
"No. What?"  
  
"Chain you to the wall!" 


	19. Pup Watching

Nikomel sat in his den, thinking. In the few times he had seen Marenvia, (or Calli, or Hermione) he had   
noticed a big change. She was much more cheerful, and the haunted look in her eyes had started to fade.   
No longer did she speak with a hidden dread in her voice. She had so much more life, you would have   
thought she was a different wolf! Err...person.  
  
In the two years she had lived with his pack, never a day had gone by without her trudging up the hill   
by the lake and staring down at the village. Calli, as she had insisted on him calling her now, had   
loved everyone in the pack, but he knew she was lonely. A human cannot survive with only animals for   
company. Tamed animals are said to be a human's best friend, but even when tamed, a human needs another   
human to love and watch over her.   
  
He was glad Calli had found that person. She deserved to be happy. All the same, he missed her. For   
quite a few days after she left, he had gotten up and gone straight to the main hall, forgetting that a   
new cub-watcher had not been assigned.   
  
The rest of the pack, most likely, didn't miss Calli. A few had been suprised, and the pups would   
whined for her in the evenings, but now they had all moved on. Nikomel thought it rather unfair.  
  
He sat up on Calli's hill, as he had come to call it, and watched the moon rise. Tonight, Calli would   
call him to a little hut in the middle of the woods. There, he would meet with the man who led the   
fight against the evil being. Dumbldore, Calli had called him.   
  
A sudden voice at his shoulder startled him out of his dream-like state.  
  
"Nikomel, the pups are back in the den. Who shall I send down to watch them?"  
  
The voice belonged to Carina, the packs temporary pup-watcher. A sleek, silver wolf, she moved like the   
wind, making her a very skilled hunter. Her gentle temperment made it easy to befriend her.  
  
"I will. I am done here."  
  
Carina gazed at him quietly out of her small, green eyes.  
  
"Are you sure? I could go instead."  
  
"No. You must stay, for you will lead the hunt tonight."  
  
Fliking her ears back in a suprised fashion, she regarded him curiously.  
  
"I am not an Alpha. I have no right to lead the hunt. Why should you not instead?"  
  
Nikomel turned to look at her abruptly.  
  
"I grant you permission. It is not your concern where I will be tonight. I am going out."  
  
Carina dipped her head, silently accepting the mild rebuke.  
  
"Please forgive me. I will gather the trackers now, if you have nothing to speak to me of."  
  
She sat stil for a few seconds, then turned and plodded silently back down the hill the the watching   
rock, where the three tracker wolves sat, ready for the hunt to begin.  
  
Nikomel sat on the hill for a while longer, then he himself turned and went down to the den.  
~~~  
Upon entering the nursery, Nikomels attitude changed abruptly. He let down his guard, and his eyes   
sparkled as he gazed around at the year's litter of pups.  
  
He had only just sat down, when a small, furry, something leaped up onto his back and howled cheerfully.  
  
Nikomel shook himself playfully a few times. The furry thing on his back squealed and toppled off.  
  
After a quick survey of the black and white puffball at his feet, Nikomel regonized it as Panesh, the   
chosen pup. If all went well, Panesh would become to next Alpha. Nikomel himself had chosen him.  
  
Panesh was a wild, playful pup. It seemed as though he never stopped moving. He had passed his Alpha   
Test with flyig colors, scoring high in everything, except self-control.  
  
Nikomel reached out his paw and turned Panesh over onto his belly. Panesh was still for a moment,   
before scrambling to get his legs under him and standing up. He looked at Nikomel excitedly.  
  
"Guess what? Guess what?" he squealed, turning in little circles.  
  
"You caught a bear?"  
  
Panesh shook his head solemnly.  
  
"Hmm...You grew an extra tail?"  
  
Panesh peered at his backside before replying.  
  
"Nope!"  
  
"Did you find a secret tunnel?"  
  
Panesh shook his head disapointedly, before bouncing back to his cheerfull, jumpy self.  
  
"What is it then?"  
  
Panesh puffed himself up importantly.  
  
"I won today's race," he boasted. "I was the fasted pup in the whole den!"  
  
Nikomel chuckled.  
  
"That's very good, Panesh. But maybe you should try and help some of the other pups run faster. I'm   
sure you would be a wonderful teacher, and you might make a few new friends."  
  
Panesh looked at Nikomel thoughtfully.  
  
"I guess I could," he said slowly. "But what if someone gets faster then me?"  
  
"I'm sure they won't," Nikomel assured him. "Your to fast for them."  
  
Panesh puffed himself up again.  
  
"I am, aren't I? Nobody can beat me!"  
  
After pronouncing this, he scrambled off.  
  
Nikomel smiled, but he didn't have much time to reflect on little Panesh. His keen ears has picked up a   
wolf howling. The message was, quite simply,  
  
~~~  
Come to the cabin  
~~~  
  
Nikomel jumped up and rushed to the main room. He quickly gave Gwela pup-watching duty for the rest of   
the evening. Then he rushed out of the cave and down the well-worn train to the abandoned cabin. 


	20. Panesh the Great

Nikomel rushed through the woods at top speed. Calli's howl sounded again, much closer then before. He   
must be on time! He would not sink so low as to be late for his meeting with the Great One.  
  
It seemed like hours passed before Nikomel caught sight of the dark cabin. Calli sat waiting for him at   
the door. As he approached, she stood up. Nikomel stopped in front of her.  
  
"He is inside. Waiting. I am supposed to show you my human form before we enter. He said it is best."  
  
Nikomel waited nervously for her to change form. This would be the closest he had ever been to a human,   
except for when Calli had sent him to watch over her mate. But that human had been injured, almost dead.  
  
Calli, still a wolf, smiled.  
  
"You needn't be afraid. I won't hurt you."  
  
Then she stood up...  
~~~  
As soon as Nikomel had left the pup-den, Panesh had stopped playing with his sisters and brothers and   
followed him up the slope that was supposed to keep the pups from climbing out. But it didn't stop   
Panesh, because he could do anything! Nikomel himself had said so.  
  
He followed at a distance, his belly pressed flat to the ground. Nobody noticed him. It was great fun,   
being in the Big Room without anyone seeing him. He almost stopped to grab a tempting scrap of meat on   
the floor of the store room, but Nikomel was almost out of sight. With a great sigh, Panesh turned away   
and began to trail him again.   
  
He followed Nikomel all the way to the front hall, where Nikomel turned and climbed outside the den   
into the night. Panesh followed him quietly. He wasn't afraid of the dark! It took him a considerable   
amount of time to climb out, considering that it had taken Nikomel all of two seconds, and by the time   
was out, Nikomel had disappeared.  
  
Still, Panesh went on proudly. He put his nose to the groud and took a big sniff. There! He had found   
Nikomels trail! Nobody could hide from Panesh the Great, not even Nikomel himself! Because Panesh could   
do anything. Nikomel himself had said so.   
  
When Panesh reached the edge of the clearing, he stopped for a minute. He had never been outside of the   
clearing, except for on Moon Night, and even then his mother had carried him in her mouth. But he had   
Nikomel's trail, and it was fresh and strong. He must be close by, and if anything happened, Nikomel   
would hear and come and rescue him. Besides, Panesh could do anything! Nikomel himself had said so. And   
everything inculded goig into the woods, alone, at the dead of night. Nikomel hadn't said that part,   
but Panesh figured he was supposed to have known that it was included when someone said "everything".   
  
So, after a moment, he trotted off into the woods following Nikomel's trail, and praising himself   
greatly for being so very sensible and brave.  
~~~  
After the shock of seeing a wolf turn into a human girl wore off, Calli, or Hermione, as she was now,   
turned and held the door of the cabin open for him. They both went inside. A seemingly very old man   
with a long white beard sat in a big armchair by a newly lit fire at the other side of the room. He   
wore something pecular on his face, but his eyes twinkled as he saw Nikomel.  
  
"Ms. Granger, would you mind very much being a translator for a little while?"  
  
Hermione laughed a little.  
  
"Not at all. He can hear what you say just fine, though sometimes it's a little jumbled to him."  
  
"That should make things much eaisier, then. What had you said his name was?"  
  
"Nikomel, Professor."  
  
Nikomel perked his ears up upon hearing his name, and the man in the chair chuckled.  
  
"So you can hear me can you? Well, first of all Nikomel, please allow me to thank you for joining our   
battle against Lord Voldemort. As I don't speak wolf, Ms. Granger, or Calli, as you know her, will be   
translating for me. Perhaps I shall learn a few wolf words along the way?"   
  
His eyes twinkled again.  
  
"Now then, Nikomel. I shall begin with the story of how Lord Voldemort came to be. As I belive you have   
already heard this story many times, Ms. Granger, why don't you take a walk outside?"  
  
"Alright, Professor. See you later, Nikomel."  
  
"Be back soon. And it's Albus, dear."  
~~~  
Panesh was getting tired. It couldn't be much farther! Just a little more, right? He could keep going.   
He could do anything! Could't he? Finally, he found that he couldn't do everything. Maybe almost   
everything, but not wandering off into the woods, alone, in the dead of night.  
  
He wanted more then anything to be back in the pup-den with his brothers and sisters and a full belly,   
with his mother in the next room over. He wished with all his little heart that something would happen,   
somebody would take him away from the woods, and back to his den.  
  
Quite siddenly, Panesh's sharp little ears picked up a noise. It was getting louder, and louder. Panesh   
whined and put his tail between his legs. It didn't sound friendly.  
  
As quickly as the sound started, it stopped. Panesh stood very still, hardly daring to breathe. And   
then, a huge, growling body jumped up from somewhere to the left of him and pushed poor little Panesh   
into the ground... 


	21. The Bear

As soon as she closed the cabin door behind her, Hermione transformed back into a wolf. Prowling around   
the cabin, she sniffed here and there. There was Nikomel's scent, Dumbledore's, and her own. A rabbit   
seemed to have come about a few days ago, and there was the very faint marking of a dog or some sort.   
In her best judgement, it was about a year old, give or take a week.  
  
Then she sniffed the air. A centaur was wandering around, probably in the clearing over by Hogwarts.   
There were a few deer close by, but nothing worth the effort of chasing down and killing something. She   
could smell a bear not far off. Male brown bear, and a big one at that. And the only other thing she   
could smell was...a wolf pup?  
  
Not just any pup, but a pup from Nikomel's den at that. It had the same odor mark. Strong, and somewhat   
musky, like a moose. What was a pup doing this far out in the woods at this time of night?  
  
Calli, as she now was, leaped around and started to run northward, towards the den. If the pup was old   
enough to be marked, hopefully he was smart enough to stay on the path.   
  
Calli had only been running for a few minutes when she found trouble. There was the bear, up ahead,   
standing over something that was clearly a small wolf pup. A growl rising deep in her chest, she sprang   
onto the beast.  
  
He put up a tremendous fight, and Calli soon saw that she wouldn't be able to handle it on her own.   
Clinging deperatly to the huge bear, she spoke to the frightened pup cowering in the bushes.  
  
"Go north up the path. Don't stop. Get to the cabin. Nikomel is there. Send him here. Hurry!"  
  
The pup looked at her curiously for a minute, but with a loud bark on Calli's part, he set of down the   
path towards the cabin, and, hopefully, help. She watched his retreating figure, praying he would get   
back in time, and that no other danger would meet up with him on his way.  
  
It was the wrong thing to do. Taking advantage of his foe's distraction, the bear cuffed her across the   
head and slammed her into the trunk of a tree.   
~~~  
Panesh stopped running for a moment when he heard the other wolf hit the ground, and turned around. The   
bear had swatted her into a tree, hard. It was turning into a one-sided battle, and he couldn't do   
anything to help! Hadn't Nikomel said that he, Panesh, could do anything? But he could go out into the   
woods at night, and he definently couldn't fight a bear, so what could he do. As the bear turned towards   
him momentarily, Panesh got his answer.   
  
Run.  
  
And run is what he did. Tucking his little fuzzy tail between his legs, a jumped around and raced in the   
direction the other wolf had indicated. He hoped she was OK. She must be a really brave wolf, to jump on   
top of a bear like that, and fight him herself. Surely she could fight him off, right?  
  
After running at top speed for a few minutes, Panesh nearly ran into a small wooden cabin as he turned a   
corner. He dashed all around it, whining and barking furiously. As he went around again, a man's head   
popped out of a hole in the wall, with Nikomel right behind him. Panesh stopped abruptly, his little legs   
dragging into the ground, trying to slow himself.  
  
"Nikomel!," he cried. "Nikomel, please come, there's a bear, and another wolf, she saved me! She wants   
you, the bear hurt her! Please come!"  
  
Nikomel didn't hesitate or question Panesh. He ordered him inside the cabin, gave to urgent barks, pawed   
the leg of the man next to him and took off into the woods. Before following him, the man turned to Panesh.  
  
"Stay here," he said quietly. "Don't leave, or make any noise. We will be back."  
  
Then he hurred off into the woods after Nikomel. 


	22. The Explaination

Panesh sat in the cabin for a long time before he heard footsteps, a very welcome noise. The man came   
in again, carrying the wolf who had saved him. Her foot had blood on it, and she had several bites and   
scratches. She was conversing softly to Nikomel, who walked next to the man. Panesh hung his head in   
shame as Nikomel looked down at him.  
  
"Panesh," he said sharply. "Why are you here?"  
  
Panesh hesitated.  
  
"I was...," he began. "I mean, I..."  
  
Nikomel growled inpatiantly.  
  
"You were what? Do you know how much trouble you caused? What gave you the right to follow me?"  
  
As soon as he had come in, the man had taken the other wolf over next to the fire. He set her down in   
the big armchair, and pulled out a long stick. He tapped the wolf with the stick and muttered   
something. The wolf, ingoring the man, turned her head and looked at Nikomel sharply. He fell silent.  
  
Then the wolf turned to Panesh, staring at him kindly.  
  
"Panesh."  
  
Panesh whimepered.  
  
"Don't be afraid Panesh. It been awhile since I've seen you. You probably don't remember me, do you?"  
  
Panesh shook his head, his eyes downcast.  
  
"I was your watcher. You were just a little thing then. Hardly more then a ball of fur. You've grown."  
  
Panesh did not reply.  
  
"How did you get here, Panesh? Then den is a long way away."  
  
"I...I followed Nikomel," Panesh said shyly.  
  
The wolf smiled.  
  
"That's what I thought. Were you scared?"  
  
Panesh looked down at his front paws.  
  
"A little..."  
  
"You did well, to do as I said back in the woods. A big part of being brave is knowing what you can and   
can't handle. I think you will be a great Alpha someday, Panesh. Did the bear hurt you?"  
  
At this, Nikomel lost his sharp look and glanced at Panesh, concerned.  
  
"Not really. But I got a scratch."  
  
The wolf looked at the man again and pawed at the sleeve of his robes. Once she had gotten his   
attention, she reached over and nosed Panesh, whimpering. The man looked over and chuckled.  
  
"All right, all right. I'll do him first. But no getting up and injuring yourself even more."  
  
The man moved to the other side of the room and reached for Panesh. Panesh ducked and ran over next to   
the other wolf. She lowered her head next to his.   
  
"Don't be afraid. He's just make sure your OK. I'm Calli, by the way."  
  
At that mement, there was a slight disruption, in the form of another human running into the room at   
top speed and narrowly missing the first man. Calli barked cheerfully, and he hurred towards her.  
  
"Goodness, you can't go anywhere without getting into trouble, can you?"  
  
Nikomel sat down beside Panesh. For a moment Panesh was afraid Nikomel was going to scold him, but when   
he spoke, his voice was gentle. He wasn't looking at Panesh, but at the man who had just come in.  
  
"Seeing as your here, Panesh, I might as well fill you in. Calli is a human."  
  
Panesh gasped, and would have rammed into Calli and barked at her furiously, had Nikomel not held him   
back, putting his paw in front of Panesh, and blocking his route.  
  
"She is not a bad human, Panesh. She helps us, and in turn, we help her. But not all human are good, as   
you already know. A bad human wanted to harm her. She had the power to turn into a wolf, like us, so we   
helped her hide from the bad human. That is her mate, the young boy. They have been seperated, because   
of her need to hide. It had to be kept secret, and everyone she knew thought that she had died. You can   
imagine what a shock it mist have been to see her again, alive and well.   
  
"She would have stayed hidden, you see, but her mate missed her. He tryed to kill himself. But they   
saved him, and she was allowed to turn back into a human, so he wouldn't try to do it again. It was for   
her own good, too, Panesh. She missed him more then was good for her. But nobody else except the pack,   
her mate, and her family, know she is still alive. And now you know, little Panesh. You must keep it a   
secret. You can tell nobody, nobody at all. Calli's life depends on your secrecy."  
  
Panesh hesitated, looking at the wolf who saved him from a bear, who watched him when he was just a   
baby pup. She didn't look as if she had been put though all Nikomel said, but Nikoeml never lied.  
  
"I can keep a secret."  
  
Nikomel nodded.  
  
"Good. You will make a fine Alpha one day, as Calli said."  
  
Panesh swelled with pride.  
  
After all, he could do anything. 


	23. A Long Discussion

Finally, after almost an hour of poking and prodding, quite a few mild rebukes, a rather large amount of love-sick glances, and one very startling transfomation, Panesh found himself sitting next to Nikomel in the corner of the room, next to a large, warm fire. Calli, now a human sat in a large chair along with the boy Nikomel had said was her mate. She had put her head on the boy's shoulder, and looked very tired.   
  
The boy, no less pleased with the seating arrangements, kept muttering half-hearted scoldings. If they were directed to himself, or to someone else, Panesh did not know. When all things came down to it, he reminded Panesh a little of his mother. "Don't know WHAT you were thinking...," and "Running off like that...," and "Can't go anywhere without trying to kill yourself, can you?" seemed to be common phrases in the boy's vocabulary.  
  
Anyway, after awhile, Panesh found himself in front of a blazing fire with Nikomel sitting next to him and all three humans seated in chairs of various sorts, for there were quite a few sorts of chairs, considering the size of the room. A big, red armchair, with the stuffing leaking out from numerous holes that had yet to be patched, sat near the door. An outragous blue and orange checkered couch sat in the exact center of the room. Panesh had tried to sit on this, but found it to be so very stiff, that he abandoned all ideas concerning it in an instant.   
  
Clearly, it wasn't to any of the other's tastes either, for it sat alone in the room, the only occupant of such a capital position in the room. For, you will see that this couch alone occupied the very best space in the entire room, being in full view of the fire, and undoubtedly very warm, thought this did nothing to lessen the stiffness. Personally, Panesh thought it felt rather rock-like, but he was not encouraged to share his oppinion on the subject, so he said nothing.  
  
The tall man who had been talking to Calli earlier was seated in what looked to be a large pile of dirt. It was, actually, a very, very, VERY, old chair, but Panesh did not realize that at the time. He merely thought that perhaps it was a pecuilar habit for men to sit upon piles of dirt. However, he refrained from pursuing this itruging question for the moment.   
  
Calli and her mate happed to be seated upon a small, dark green couch of some kind, though it was rather small. Panesh wondered vaugely if this factor was being used as an excuse to sit very close to one another. One never knew such things untill they asked, and, of course, it wasn't the kind of question one usually asked.  
  
There were a few other objects ment for sitting upon in the room, but I will refrain from commented on them, as it just so happened at the man upon the pile of dirt began to speak.  
  
He spoke of many things, magic and schools, wizards and witches, evil men determined to take over the world and pumpkin pies; But after quite a few hours, in which Panesh had almost fallen alseep, the entire story of Voldemort, and the disapearance of Hermione Granger was revealed. Panesh was a little bewildered that even Nikomel did not know some of the things the dirt man spoke of. Surely Nikomel had know all this already? For Nikomel knew everything: how to hunt, how to track, how to lead, how to order and teach an entire pack of wolves; surely he had known this?  
  
But it appeared he did not, and Panesh was all the more confused by it. Hadn't his mother always said that Nikomel knew everything? But then, everything was alot to remember, and as Panesh tried to remeber and understand all he heard, he leaned his head against one of Nikomel's paws, and closed his eyes, and was fast asleep in a matter of seconds.  
  
Calli was the first to notice this, and to point it out to Nikomel, who had been entirely absorbed in what he was hearing. When Calli spoke to him, he turned abruptly, for he had completely forgotten she was there. When he moved, his paw slipped out from under Panesh's head, and the little wolf pup slid softly to the floor, still fast alseep.  
  
After the plans for the next meeting had been set up, Nikomel grabbed Panesh by the scruff of his neck, and gently carried him, as he made his way down the long, dark path towards the place they both called home. 


	24. The Stranger

After Nikomel had taken Panesh back to the den, Dumbledore stood up   
and gazed fondly at Ron and Hermione, both of them almost asleep. He   
smiled half-heartedly. So young, so very young...  
  
Clearing his throat, he spoke softly to Ron, as Hermione appeared to   
be to tired to care what anyone said.  
  
"Mr. Weasley, I think it is best if you both stay here for the night,   
until we can come up with a more suitable place for you. You do not   
mind?" he asked quietly.  
  
Ron opened his eyes halfway, looked for a moment at the wizard   
standing in front of him, and mumbled something inentelligable,   
before closing his eyes again. Dumbledore chuckled and covered the   
two with a blanket, before taming the fire and leaving, the door   
closing softly behind him.  
  
Walking briskly down the path, he soon came to Hogsemede. Standing at   
the corner by the pub, he soon spotted a tall figure hurrying down   
the street. Whoever it was quickly came up to him and immeadiatly   
pulled out a small card from inside his robes.   
  
Dumbledore studied it carefully, before producing his own card and   
showing it to the stranger. Nodding, the shadowy figure guestured at   
the pub, and escorted Dumbledore inside. Both of them want into an   
empty room, and the stranger locked the door securly, before turning   
around and sighing heavily.  
  
Dumbledore spoke urgently.  
  
"How is it? Did we win?"  
  
The stranger paused for a moment before replying.  
  
"It depends. We won, but we have lost many. Too many. The defences have   
been greatly reduced, and He is quickly regrouping his forces. It took   
many to defeat the trolls that come down from the mountain. We were   
not expecting them. And the Death-Eaters swarmed what was left of the   
village while we were distracted. Their plan worked only too well. So   
many were lost, Dumbledore, so many."  
  
Dumbledore nodded sadly at him.  
  
"Yes, there were many who suffered that should have not. But we can do   
nothing for them now. We can only help those still alive. That is what   
we must focus on."  
  
The stranger twitched violently. Dumbledore reacher out a hand to him,   
but he turned away.  
  
"I am alright. I know what we must do. But I cannot see any hope for   
us. He is too strong."  
  
Dumbledore frowned.  
  
"That may be, but we will still fight to the end, even if the end is   
death for us all. Hope is always where you least expect it, Harry.   
Remember that." 


	25. A Change of Mood

"It has begun."  
  
Such grim words, spoken by such a friendly face. How could it be?  
  
Ron blinked sleepily, trying to bring everything into focus.   
  
Everything came back to him at once. Dumbledore, the cabin, the bear, the wolves.  
  
"Harry?" he questioned around a yawn.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
His friend sounded particularly downhearted, and Ron struggled to wake up.  
  
"What happened? What's begun?"  
  
"The war."  
  
Ron had the pecular urge to look Harry full in the face and say something   
rather rude in the most obvious tone he could speak in.  
  
"I know that Harry. We've been at war for a long time now," he murmed, wished   
he could shut his eyes and go on sleeping the day away.  
  
"No, Ron. Not like that. The War."  
  
Something in Harry's voice indicated capital letters were in order.  
  
"Dumbledore wants you."  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"I suppose that means I have to get up then?" Ron grumbled. Harry   
almost smiled.   
  
"Afraid so."  
  
He was met with a loud groan, and then a soft cry of pain, as   
Hermione elbowed Ron in the chest.  
  
"Go back to sleep," she ordered.  
  
"Can't, love," Ron crowed, not one to ignore an oppertunity when   
it looked him full in the face.  
  
Hermione raised her head and blinked wearily at him. "Why not?"  
  
"Sir Dubledore hath issued a summon for ye, my lady" he said somberly,   
in a very official tone. Harry made a noise that sounded suspisiously   
like a snicker.  
  
Hermione blinked at him again, as though it took some time for her to   
fully comprehend what Ron had just said.  
  
"Oh," she muttered finally. "OK then."  
  
She would have stood up right then and there had she not caught sight   
of Harry. A moment of silence passed betweeh the two, before Ron gazed   
at Harry pointedly, and mude a small guesture in the general direction   
of the door.  
  
Harry raised his eyebrow, but went outside just the same.  
  
Hw could have sworn he heard Ron whisper "Bye bye," in an amused tone.  
  
"What did you say?" he called suspisiously over his shoulder.  
  
"Nothing." 


End file.
